throw bags

[klimbinfool]

You buy a throw bag for ten bucks and the thing blows out in one week.

I guess I can be a little rough on them and I know you should let the ball down after every throw, untie and retie throw again. Dont pull it out an drop it on rocks, pavement... bla bla bla. But damn! cant anyone make a decent throw ball? one that the stitching doesn't come apart after a couple drops?

Ok, enough of the complaining.......so I decided to by all the materials and hand sew one up today...aside from the poor stitcher that I am, it seem to handle the ponding of being droped out of the tree. this is a 12oz bag short and compact. Not being tappered at the ring end could pose as a problem, but we'll see how long that last... one thing I like about this bag, is that it only needed two horizontal stitches rather then four vertical like on a typical throw bag, less to blow out. A friend of mine from the Medesto area used to make his own and seem to hold up well.

What do you think ?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Cool.

 

[SkwerI]

Looks good. I won't even attempt to sew something though, I have a hard enough time lockstitching my rope splices.

Jerry showed a similar homemade throw bag in his 'Working Climber' DVD.

 

[sotc]

I'd try it if you gave it to me. Can't make my self go to all that trouble when I just wrap in electric tape. 16 oz. becomes 12 plus tape

 

[klimbinfool]

lol.....I dont want to go through all the trouble of hand stitching either , but my wifes sewing machine is in the shop. I need one like Gerry has, his will punch through all the material with no probs.

 

[sotc]

Ohhh, he could start marketing " Jerry's sack"

 

[Hobby Climber]

Hmmm... thinking thinking...

 

[Old Monkey]

What about using a sewing awl?

 

[thattreeguy]

My father in law used to own bailey suits the dive suit manufacturer

he passed on ,and several of the large commercial sewing machines are sitting on the shelf

we could try to use one to stitch webbing and see how it does, from what i know its a big industrial one so it shouldnt be a problem

cool greg,
hey is that your brother with the smog shop? i just remembered y'all have the same last name

 

[woodworkingboy]

If you made up some bags out of heavy material and took them to an upholsterer, their industrial machines should be able to stitch them up quick. Can't see it costing very much. If you sealed them first with cyanoacrylate adhesive, it would be a quick zip.

 

[klimbinfool]

Darin, thats what I do use. I have one to do the whipping on my spliced eyes.

Dave, yes that is my oldest brother.Thanks for the offer on the industrial sewer. Might have to give it a try.

Jay, thats a good idea, but the closest place to me that can do that is 45 min. away. I think I'll try and burn up the wifes machine when she gets it back in...

I'm not going into production on these things. I just a good clean throw bag that doesn't fall apart in the first week of use. It only cost about three bucks to make one.lead shot is the most expensive part. Forty bucks for thirty lbs.

 

[SkwerI]

Greg, you could double bag it. The commercially sold ones have a rubber bladder inside to hold the lead shot.

 

[Blinky]

Go to it HC... get with Greg, your new designer and whip out some superior American made throwbags.

Greg, I pull mine down the hard way fairly often too but splicing eyes on a throwline makes getting the bag on and off the line a lot quicker. Anytime I think it will be trouble to just pull it down, I take it off.

 

[klimbinfool]

Thats true Brian, some of them do anyway.

 

[NickfromWI]

I've got an industrial machine that can handle some tough stuff. It's a sailrite w/ zig zag. I've made ones just like you made, greg, but like you said, I ended up getting annoyed by it not being tapered.

I also made some 2 oz and 4oz that I use with the big shot
and fishing line.

And to answer the initial question of why can't
anyone make a decent throwbag- I think it is the industry's fault. Throwbags are expensive to make right. When someone comes along and builds a good one, we don't support it because of the price. The Harrison rocket is near perfect- but it's like $25 or something like that. The average tree guy won't drop that cash when the bag hanging on the shelf next to it is $10.

We've all seen what the $10 bags can do.

love
nick

 

[Tommy_B]

Looks good mate. Well done for having a go

 

[klimbinfool]

Heres the second attempt. I fixed the tapper issue and tried it out in my Black Oaks which generally have tighter crotches, pulled through nicely with no hang ups. other than my crappy stitching job, I think it's a go. I'll put it to the true test this week.

I'll never make a quilter, thats for sure.

Greg

 

[NickfromWI]

Now you're talking!

I tried that and couldn't get the corners to stay tucked in before getting sewn down.

Did you cut them off or just fold them in?

love
nick

 

[klimbinfool]

Just folded them Nick....and just sewd the piss out of them.It's doesn't look bad from the other side either. The stitching pulls the folds in tight

 

[SkwerI]

Nice job, Greg.

 

[klimbinfool]

Thanks Brian

 

[NickfromWI]

Wait- is that 2" tubular?

 

[Wagnaw]

Looks like it. That's a great idea!


What are you using for the ring? Just rings off of old shitty bags?

 

[gf beranek]

Those bags work good. I still have the one Jesse gave me 4 years ago.

 

[klimbinfool]

Yes it is...or it might even be a 1/12...didnt measure.

Yeah Gerry, thats what prompted me. They were tough buggers.